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- Author interview - |
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 Interview with Nicola Furlong, author of A Hemorrhaging Of Souls (Salal Press, 1998) a popular, dark psychological mystery which examines basic human desires and fears. Read rave reviews. Author's web site - E-mail: nf@crimepays.bc.ca Read our review by Nancy Mehl. Interview by Charlotte Austin. A Hemorrhaging of Souls gathers force like an emotional hurricane, leaving the reader to discover what has been blown away and what remains. A masterful portrayal of the tortured souls that exist inside complicated and intricate characters. - From our review CHARLOTTE AUSTIN - How do you write a Whodunit? Where do you start? NICOLA FURLONG - I usually start with a single, powerful idea. In A Hemorrhaging of Souls, the suicide of a young boy in British Columbia shocked me into wondering: why? In TEED OFF!, it was to fill a literary void: to create a strong female protagonist who was a professional athlete. I love to learn when I read and am enthralled when a book has many layers. To deepen my work, I use themes - generally stemming from a character or incident - and weave them into the plot's fabric. For example, in A Hemorrhaging of Souls, I wanted to examine the failed relationships between fathers and daughters, and the shame that ensues. Since my female protagonist, Tempest Ivory, has adapted to her life's tragedies by withdrawing and encasing herself in a cool, distant demeanor, I needed her to have an emotional release. After all, she's human and I wanted the reader to like and to sympathize with her, despite her ice maiden act. After a lot of thinking while biking the Saanich Peninsula, I hit on the idea of opera - so Tempest became an aspiring singer. This led me to use Verdi's tragic epic, Rigoletto, with its harrowing father-daughter confrontation - a perfect echo to Tempest's own tortured family history. During the initial floundering stage, while I pick themes and ideas -the hardest part of the entire process - I ponder the plot and eventually create index cards for each scene and develop each character's history and personality in detail. I leave the ending loose to allow for character development and changes that often occur during the actual writing. Once I'm satisfied with the plot, themes and characters, I begin to write, generally working several hours every day until it's finished. Finding the right title is important. I can't write without it. Your latest A Hemorrhaging of Souls has become widely popular in a competitive market. Why do you think this second mystery has been so well-received? I believe in A Hemorrhaging of Souls touches the reader's soul because the main characters are flawed yet likeable. The story, a dark psychological thriller with increasing tension and pace, contrasts sharply with the bucolic locale of Vancouver Island. The novel examines some basic human desires and fears - love of oneself, shame, and love between parent and child - in a complicated, exciting and often amusing manner. The title - nicked from the French Philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, who said that shame was like an internal hemorrhaging - is strong and unusual, as is the cover. Please describe a typical writing day for our readers. I have a great life! During the pondering and plundering stage, I often go at it in sporadic bursts punctuated by fits of bike riding, playing ice hockey, gardening or devouring chocolate. It could be a couple of months before I'm ready to write, months where I'm less regimented. When actually writing with fingers to the keyboard, I spend the mornings and early afternoon hard at it. Of course, this is followed by some exercise and a lot of chocolate. What kind of research do you do on your novels? A lot, for two reasons: It's essential for verisimilitude and it's a ton of fun. For TEED OFF!, I spent two weeks behind the scenes of a professional women's golf tournament, chatting to everyone from the greens keepers to the star players. I caddied for one of the Canadian players, interviewed a number of pros, swatted a ball or two and spent time with a coroner. There's nothing like a golf course before dawn, when you're shivering and shaking and swatting mosquitoes as an impatient baseball-capped youth is shouting the finer points of cutting Kentucky Blue grass over the sound of his mower. For A Hemorrhaging of Souls I studied and attended opera, interviewed the general manager of Pacific Opera, chatted with the local youth help line and waded my way through a number of textbooks on child suicide. Best of all, I took singing lessons, and despite my grandmother's prediction that I couldn't even call a dog, my instructor pronounced me a promising soprano. I highly recommend singing lessons to everyone as a remarkable release and powerful confidence-builder. Just to stand proud, arms outstretched, and bellow at the top of your lungs is an amazing, liberating experience. How long do your novels take to research and write? The research varies, could be two or more months. The writing remains the same, approximately three months straight to the first draft and those oh-so-sweet words - the end. What personal challenges do you face daily as a writer? The RIGHT ideas are hard to come by but income is the biggest bugbear. Competition is fierce and bookselling is changing dramatically. It's very difficult to survive financially so I supplement my writing income by working as a consultant specializing in small-group facilitation, fisheries and environmental analysis and funding proposal preparation and critique. In your opinion, how can writers become successful authors in today's challenging marketplace? Know the marketplace, write stories that people want to read, swallow your shyness and self-promote, and don't give up. How is the Internet helpful for your work? I find the Internet a wonderful source for research, communication and promotion. You can't beat it. I have a Web site to promote my novels, I participate in DorothyL, a ListServe dedicated to discussing mysteries, and I regularly surf for information. What is your next project or novel? I've just finished a suspense novel, entitled THY WILL BE DONE, that fuses religious and paranormal phenomena, biotechnology, cloning and ethics, anti-abortion terrorism and the music business into a page-turning, roller-coaster read. Without giving anything away, here’s some background information on Thy Will Be Done: What astounding secret legacy, resurrected from a controversial divine relic is being shrouded by the stigmatic, pop-evangelist John the Apostle? Already revered and reviled for his powers of song and healing, this charismatic superstar's mythic life tragically unravels after three strangers infiltrate his west-coast Passion Ministry during its intensely anticipated Easter concert week. Their combined inquiries trigger revelation, ruin and murder in Thy Will Be Done. Any closing thoughts or comments? Thanks to the thousands of mystery/thriller readers all over for their support and interest. Nicola Furlong welcomes your comments E-mail: nf@crimepays.bc.ca |
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